414 Scientific Intelligence. 
The dredgings were made outside of the Florida reef, at the 
same time as the deep-sea soundings, in lines extending from the 
reef to a depth of about 400 to 500 hous, so as to develop the 
figure of the bottom, its formation and fauna. Six such lines were 
sounded out and dredged over, in the space comprised between 
Sand Key and Coffin’s Patches, All of them agree nearly in the fol- 
lowing apt from the reef to about the hundred fathom line, 
ve miles off, the bottom nosis chiefly of broken shells 
and very few corals, and is rather barren of life. A second region 
extends from the neighborhood of the handeed fathom line to about 
800 fathoms; the slope is very gradual, particularly between 100 
miles. The third region begins between 250 and 350 fathoms and 
is the great nee < Foraminifera so widely extended over 
bottom - the o 
The second ieniba is the most pong 2 from the variety of 
sedinaie. inhabitie ng it. The bottom-rock, of which many pieces 
were brought up, is a limestone, still 1 in Ladkitises of formation from 
the debris of the shells, corel, ete., growing and dying on its sur 
face. In this fauna the vertebrates are only veprencitol by a very 
ag ‘small fishes, and ae not deeper than 100 fathoms. But 
all the branches of invertebrates are represented; I will mention 
the most characteristic. _Of the Molluscs, the most common is 
te oll eropods are 
rarer and mostly small, the largest being the Voluta Junonia, 
which was obtained living sever eral times, and dead frequently. 
Acephala are rather rare and small, but ee are abundan 
there aré. several new species of Echinide and very ‘overeating 
Asteridx and Ophiuride. Holothurie are rather rare, except anew 
-Psolus. Of corals, I have eeperen : i species, belonging pa 
pally to the families of Turbino: and Oculinide; the 
psammide are also represented . tao or three ct be yg civ 
pha che of Antipas, es: or nine "of Go gee 
ecg 
re a general rule, ev ad thing is ee whose 
tal, s of Cep the 
shells of Peencte &c., which have event 0 come from a 
of bo: the mana i 
am not able to account, as the manatee does not inh 
sea, and there are no currents to bring the floating care 
its usual haunts in the shallow bays. 
